The legitimacy of Britain’s National Parks is a debate that constantly simmers. Many argue that the globally recognised ‘National Park’ brand has been hijacked and diluted.
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Nature
Politicians urged to grasp chance to control the spread of vehicle tracks in our hills
A coalition of ten conservation charities is calling on the Scottish Parliament to grasp a golden opportunity to introduce stronger controls over vehicle tracks in our hills. The Scottish Parliament is set to vote this week on Planning Bill amendments by Scottish Green Party MSP Andy Wightman, designed to close loopholes that allow landowners to build many of the controversial tracks without planning permission. Research by Scottish Environment LINK Hilltracks group has found that the tracks continue to creep further into wilder landscapes, and that planning loopholes can lead to them being badly-sited and designed. Some tracks have even been built over…
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No Permits planned for Ben Nevis
I really should have known better. A journalist of my acquaintance rang me to say he’d been chatting to the John Muir Trust about Ben Nevis. Clearly on the scent of a story he told me that 160,000 people had climbed Ben Nevis last year, putting an enormous amount of pressure on the mountain. We chatted a bit about the effects of so many boots on a footpath like the one that runs up the hill from Achintee and he asked me if I thought a permit system should be introduced? I suggested the tourist path on Ben Nevis was…
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Some lessons from Glen Etive
“Fruitful glen of pools and fishes, Glen of hawks, blue eyed, crying” – Gleann Measach Iasgach Linneach – Deirdre of the Sorrows According to Irish mythology, Deirdre and her love Naoise founded Glen Etive after fleeing Ulster. What was a place of refuge has become a place of conflict, where environmental priorities are weighed against each other and land justice issues play out. David Lintern looks at the context and wonders what can be learnt. First, a recap. Last year, developer Dickens Hydro Resources put in planning applications for seven run of river hydro schemes, off every main tributary feeding…
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Monarch or Menace?
‘Insect apocalypse’: my waking nightmare
Wild land and its critics
Mountain hare book scoops Nature Photography award
A debut book exploring The Secret Life of the Mountain Hare has gained public appreciation in an online vote to find the Favourite Scottish Nature Photography Book of 2018. It is the work of photographer Andy Howard, a leading expert on mountain hares, and includes stunning photography and field notes from his time on the hills tracking these majestic creatures, as well as a charming narrative about the life of the mountain hare. The book was reviewed on Walkhighlands on launch in October. The vote is held every two years by the Scottish Nature Photography Awards, which celebrate nature, wildlife and…
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Beavers to be legally protected species
Beavers will become a legally protected species in May, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced. This means that from 1 May 2019 shooting will only be allowed under licence, which will be managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). All licenses will be issued in accordance with the law on European Protected Species. Ms Cunningham said: “The Scottish Government believes in the highest standards of animal welfare – for both wild and domestic animals – and we felt it was high time that beavers enjoyed the same legal protection as other species like bats, dolphins, wildcats and otters. “There are few…
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Conservation in the 21st Century
